The new Garsington Opera

I was lucky enough to spend an evening at the new Garsington Opera the other weekend. It counts as one of the three G country opera houses...

By Ajesh Patalay8 July 2011

I was lucky enough to spend an evening at the new Garsington Opera the other weekend. It counts as one of the three G country opera houses, along with Glyndebourne and Grange Park, located on estates around the South East. I dont think an English summer is complete without a visit to one of them, dressed up in black tie and armed with a hamper for picnicking on the grounds during the entracte.

I first went to Glyndebourne a few years ago, on dress rehearsal day when cast and crew invite friends and the formal dress code is dispensed with. It was a delight, casual and grand at the same time. My only outing to the Grange was blighted by the choice of opera, Gilbert & Sullivans Iolanthe, which I hated. I ended up leaving during the interval.

No such outcome at Garsington, which turned out to be a marvel. The opera has just re-located from Garsington Manor (whose wonderfully theatrical gardens were the perfect backdrop) to Wormsley Estate, home to the Getty family. Its a spectacular Arcadia, with undulating green hills, a lake and woodland stretching to the horizon in every direction.

Deserving of special mention is the opera pavilion itself, which is made of timber and steel and looks rather like a deluxe wendy house. It collapses and flatpacks at the end of the season, to be put in storage under next year, which is pretty nifty. The auditorium is brilliantly intimate, though partly exposed to the elements at the back and sides. This proved to be problematic on the Saturday I attended, when Rossinis ridiculously silly tale of adultery Il Turco in Italia was being performed. The reason was it rained almost non-stop during the performance. We audience draped our laps in blankets and looked up as the heavens rumbled and stormed. It added to the sense of drama at least.

The dark clouds put a dampener on interval dining though. No picnics under the sun. I was fortunate enough to have ordered one of Jamie Olivers Fabulous Feasts, which comprised a range of cold meats, breads and salad, served in one of the mini-marquees. Thank god for the shelter, I thought, as the rain pelted the tarpaulin and I bemoaned the English summer. Plus ca change.

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